Down Club Hurling & Football

[Back2Winning]

What is the rush to get back to 10 teams per division???
We currently have 43 teams in the county and if Ballykinlar return it will be 44.
Is there anything wrong with have 4 x 11 team divisions with the odd team getting a bye each week?
Forget about taking a break in July and play twice a week if required.

You can't go changing league structures every 5 minutes. The leagues were set to 10 teams a few years ago and the only reason we have this situation is due to Covid. As with everything in the world, completely out of the ordinary and may take something uncomfortable or extraordinary to resolve the issue. Never going to suit everyone.

It was just a question! Keep your hair on! 
Seems like the Down leagues have been chopped and changed plenty over the years and now the idea of a Div 4a and 4b would appear to be a back handed attempt to shoehorn Premier Reserve teams into the ACFL. 

[thewobbler]

I'm a little gobsmacked that after two years of watching non-competitive D1 football, that anyone would want to see this continue for another season.

I mean is it more important to say "we are in division one" or to actually play and watch genuine division one football.

Give me the latter any day.

[east down gael]

I think everyone agrees that ten teams in divisions one and two is the ideal. But how do you get there for the start of the 2023 season? Playing home and away this year isn't feasible. One set of fixtures is too little games,so they've come up with this plan.for one year only.

[thebar]

I'm a little gobsmacked that after two years of watching non-competitive D1 football, that anyone would want to see this continue for another season.

I mean is it more important to say "we are in division one" or to actually play and watch genuine division one football.

Give me the latter any day.

100% agree - competitive football is all we want.

[supersub]

What is the rush to get back to 10 teams per division???
We currently have 43 teams in the county and if Ballykinlar return it will be 44.
Is there anything wrong with have 4 x 11 team divisions with the odd team getting a bye each week?
Forget about taking a break in July and play twice a week if required.

You can't go changing league structures every 5 minutes. The leagues were set to 10 teams a few years ago and the only reason we have this situation is due to Covid. As with everything in the world, completely out of the ordinary and may take something uncomfortable or extraordinary to resolve the issue. Never going to suit everyone.

It was just a question! Keep your hair on! 
Seems like the Down leagues have been chopped and changed plenty over the years and now the idea of a Div 4a and 4b would appear to be a back handed attempt to shoehorn Premier Reserve teams into the ACFL. 

And I was just replying to the question, which had 3 question marks suggesting bemusement! So now you have the context.

[Back2Winning]

What is the rush to get back to 10 teams per division???
We currently have 43 teams in the county and if Ballykinlar return it will be 44.
Is there anything wrong with have 4 x 11 team divisions with the odd team getting a bye each week?
Forget about taking a break in July and play twice a week if required.

You can't go changing league structures every 5 minutes. The leagues were set to 10 teams a few years ago and the only reason we have this situation is due to Covid. As with everything in the world, completely out of the ordinary and may take something uncomfortable or extraordinary to resolve the issue. Never going to suit everyone.

It was just a question! Keep your hair on! 
Seems like the Down leagues have been chopped and changed plenty over the years and now the idea of a Div 4a and 4b would appear to be a back handed attempt to shoehorn Premier Reserve teams into the ACFL. 

And I was just replying to the question, which had 3 question marks suggesting bemusement! So now you have the context.

Any answer to the question asking if there is anything wrong with 4 divisions of 11 teams in 2023?
Does it really have to be something extraordinary and uncomfortable in order to get the 10 team divisions or would a phased return be best?

[wobbller]

There'll be some mismatches in Divs 1&2 and it'll end with lots of walkovers and not fielding towards the end of the leagues which will be disheartening to Clubs when they'd usually be rarin to go for their respective Championships.Any Leagues should have a winner and be rightly promoted to the next Div up.The CCC proposal is trying to do what on effect is a two year process in one year and is flawed in that it is wrongly lifting teams from lower Divs and putting them in a level of football that is beyond them and it will lead to maulings.Covid is/was an awful situation and the County did right by not having any relegation but they need to work this out over two years for the benefit of everyone .

[Truth hurts]

I do think a phased approach to 10 items is the best approach.
I understand what people are saying about the mismatches but at a closer look at the scenarios and the calendar, I believe the CCC proposal is the best option. By no means is it perfect but it is the best of the 3. I do not envy the executive as every club is out for their own but in the grand scheme of things, it is the fairest for all concerned. There will be a great buzz around Darragh in welcoming the big clubs to Town and it will be great for the GAA in that part of the county which is really starting to bear fruit.
We are 5/1 on Saturday, I expect a big performance.

[wobbller]

I do think a phased approach to 10 items is the best approach.
I understand what people are saying about the mismatches but at a closer look at the scenarios and the calendar, I believe the CCC proposal is the best option. By no means is it perfect but it is the best of the 3. I do not envy the executive as every club is out for their own but in the grand scheme of things, it is the fairest for all concerned. There will be a great buzz around Darragh in welcoming the big clubs to Town and it will be great for the GAA in that part of the county which is really starting to bear fruit.
We are 5/1 on Saturday, I expect a big performance.

And what price would DC be when the big Clubs come to town? 5-1???Why would you expect a big performance on Sat night? Were you at last Sat's game or watched it even?What will change from the last performance to your optimism for next match?

[manwithnoplan]

Another option would be to change the Championship for one year only to straight knock-out and allow for the extra games in the League.

Straight knockout cship would be absolutely shit.. possibility of one or two big games in early rounds but most would be mismatches and the lesser teams learn feck all getting tanked by Burren/Kilcoo/Clonduff/CPN..
our Championship is quality at the minute and generally the top 6 teams get to the quarter final and the other 2 are teams on form at that time..

A bigger issue here could be running an u19 competition when the county u20 are preparing for their championship. Will clubs field without their county players - I wouldn't think so..
whatever way the leagues are worked this year is irrelevant as it's not going to be competitive until we are back to ten team formations in each league. So proposal A or B or whatever they are called can run away. The top 8 clubs in down will be in division 1 in 2023 and A N Other x2. Then the leagues will tighten up.

It's brilliant in Tyrone, might give rise to an upset or two which for a year would be refreshing.

[Square Ball]

and so what if a big team goes out in the first round, do they have some sort of divine right to get two bites of the cherry?

[Truth hurts]

The straight knock out in the championship would be good but there is too much money to be made at championship games and the county needs this all.

I just think we will get a kick this weekend and we will get more pace into the team.

[wobbller]

The straight knock out in the championship would be good but there is too much money to be made at championship games and the county needs this all.

I just think we will get a kick this weekend and we will get more pace into the team.

Clubs in Div's 1&2 are going to lose money in the CCC's proposal as they'll have less home fixtures and even then some of these will be mismatches which will
have no attraction for people to attend.

[BigRipper89]

I understand the need to even the Divisions. But your writing off complete seasons for some of the teams being thrown up into divison 1 and 2. Then having 6 teams relegated from the division. So a Mid table division 2 team now has to play all the best teams in the county and hope to finish above the majorty to survive. I see alot of teams being depleted after a few hammerings and games not being run near end of the season. I personally wouldn fancy CPN/burren/kilcoo away playing for one of them teams.

Whats the thoughts for saturday. Hope we get a good crowd down to it and give them a go from the start. Tough start but even a performance to give us some hope later in the leauge. Possibliy the last game without the Kilcoo boys, but i would imagine there will be a few weeks celebrating and rest after the final- a well deserved one at that.

[Truth hurts]

Hot of the press
Kilcoo is appealing the sending off on Saturday and a delegation of high-ranking club officials will be in headquarters this weekend.